Normal human Olivia is transported to a magical world of fae that gifts her with both magical powers and a surprise orc husband.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🌶️/5

Tropes:

Fated Mates

Only one horse

Language barrier

This was a great introduction to a new series that I really look forward to reading more of! I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a short, fast-paced monster romance with a splash of steam.

The world-building is super unique and interesting with warring orc and ogre clans that follow the Moon Goddess and compete for her gifts from the sky.

The romance was very sweet. Rovann is such a sweet and charming MMC that worships his bride and showers her with the most lovely compliments.

When Catrin’s childhood crush returns home after breaking her heart fifteen years ago, she somehow gets roped into traveling across the continent and stealing a few horses alongside him.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Tropes:

Grumpy (her) x sunshine (him)

Forced proximity

Childhood crush

Brother’s best friend

Only one cave

Only one horse

Boatload of angst

This book was firing on all cylinders! The characters are incredible. The world-building is amazing. The romance is swoon-worthy. The plot is engaging and easy to follow. I enjoyed every moment of this read.

Catrin is an awe-inspiring female lead. Burdened with abandonment issues and familial trauma, she still works hard every day to be an incredible single mother to her children. She is fierce and brave despite her flaws. Her character development was such a joy to watch. I see so much of myself in her, and she makes me feel valued and heard.

I usually steer clear of high angst levels in my romance reads, but the angst in this book was written wonderfully well. I enjoyed the way these two complex characters navigated their feelings towards each other while trying to be respectful of the other’s wishes and protect their own hearts from harm. 

Again, I find myself fascinated with the side characters that make brief appearances and I crave more stories from this world!

I would highly recommend this read to anyone who enjoyed A Polar Expedition! It is a phenomenal second installment. And there’s quite a bit more spice in this one as well. 👀

A scientist with burning questions leaves behind her academia to venture into the frozen north looking for answers about the source of her continent’s magic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5

This book is amazing! The world-building is incredibly creative and unique, and the protagonist’s occasional footnotes help immerse the reader in her world.

With the monster romance or fantasy romance genre, I’m used to very loose world-building without much detail, so I was quite pleasantly surprised by this book. I love the scientific details about every little thing. It is so clear this world is a labor or love, and one that the author most certainly deserves to be proud of. I am absolutely fascinated with this world and I will definitely be reading the other stories that take place within this same world as soon as I can!

Sirin and Berne’s romance is adorably sweet. I love that they don’t beat around the bush and drag things on forever. Sirin is a strong woman who knows what she wants and takes it. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and she is a huge inspiration.

The side characters are so interesting! Even the council members who only appear for a single chapter have caught my eye. I need a side story for every single side character ever at this point. Everything is just so fascinating and I can’t help but crave more!

In order to claim her inheritance, Tomorrow must marry a man of status and avoid assassination attempts from her greedy family members. Dark is the perfect package. As both a Duke and a fearsome dragon fae shifter, he can help her secure her duchy while scaring off anyone who may wish her harm.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🌶️🌶️/5

Tropes:

Fake dating/engagement

Grumpy x sunshine

Fated mates

He falls first/he falls harder

“Touch her and di3”

Supportive female side characters

I very much enjoyed this story, but I loved the characters even more! Tomorrow is adorably awkward and incredibly sweet with lots of love to give. I adore her bright perspective on things despite the darkness surrounding her situation. Dark is broody and traumatized, but if you dig deep enough, there’s a heart of gold that is fiercely loyal to those he loves. Their romance is very sweet and deeply emotional.

The world-building was quite confusing and difficult to follow, but that is most likely due to the fact that I read this as a stand-alone instead of as a series. The author states this book can be read as a stand-alone, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it as I felt very lost in this complicated world.

Absolutely emotionally devastating. I knew this book would be sad, but I was not prepared for just how sad. The heartbreak in the narrator’s voice in the audiobook version was just the cherry on top. I will never recover. 

I read this once before over a decade ago, but I don’t remember the story very well. It’s almost as if reading it again for the first time. I really enjoyed the new settings and characters. 

I went into this expecting a silly little read, and that’s exactly what I got! It’s a short but sweet romance (with plenty of humor) between a woman who dislikes skin to skin contact and a pillow born of a phoenix feather. If you’re looking for a lighthearted one-sitting spicy read and aren’t too picky about the form the MMC takes, I would definitely recommend!

I listened to the audiobook version and was pleasantly surprised by the talent. This is a duet-style narration where the narrators flip flop depending on the character currently speaking. The MMC narrator is very talented! When the character changes form, he changes his voice to match. I was very impressed and it helped to make me feel more connected to the story.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the way the FMC treats human men. It feels very stereotyping and borderline offensive with the mentality of “all men are creeps.” But that was my only issue, so a solid four stars from me!

In a world of monsters where humans are a rare and highly demanded commodity, Celeste receives a companionship application from a sweet and shy construction worker minotaur named Theo who claims he’s looking for someone to spoil.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Another masterpiece from Lyonne Riley! This book perfectly merges fluffy romance with lovely spice. Even though this story is very slice of life, I never found myself bored or wanting to rush through the small moments. It’s a sweet and enjoyable relaxing romance. I adore the way Theo dotes on Celeste, answering her every need with affection and care. And this spice is SPICY! Hot damn, this couple had me both giggling and blushing. Highly recommend checking this one out when it releases January 12th!

Thank you so much to the author for an advanced copy!